한국 공직문화의 원형: 자리문화 = The Origins of Korean Administrative Culture: Jari Culture

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Previous studies on administrative culture have focused more on administrative organization rather than on the administration itself, and scholars have tended to favor survey methods, which deal with culture as an independent or dependent variable. The administrative culture can be seen as a manipulative variable depending on the purpose of the organization. This study breaks out of what those studies assume and takes an interpretive position to understand Korean administrative culture. Administrative culture is heavily rooted in characters and elements of the administration. There are four conclusions drawn from this study. First, administrative culture in Korea has its roots in and around the meaning of a “bureaucratic position” or a “public duty.” Second, a Korean word, “jari,” which literally means a place or a seat where one can usually sit or stand, is used figuratively to symbolize bureaucratic position and status. Third, the meaning of jari is not unified: it can be used as an inherited property, a gift in return for loyalty, a rank and a pecking order, or sometimes as a professional career or an occupation. Jari competition is a nerve-racking task incorporating all the other meanings. Last, jari culture encompasses administrative cultures of Korea such as rankism, authoritarianism, paternalism, familial and factional ties, nepotism, formalism, and more. Jari culture defines a way of life and the value of bureaucratic officials who want to identify or construct their self-image by comparing the relative value of their seats.